COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Unbeneficial To Public Health – NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease and Prevention Control (NCDC) has said that recent experiences in the country with the arrival of the COVID-19 omicron variants showed that travel restrictions did not have any public health benefits but were disruptive for persons and businesses.
Director-General, NCDC, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, said this on his official Twitter handle while addressing Nigerians who raised concern over the rising COVID-19 cases in China, the UK, U.S.A and other countries.
He said COVID-19 has and continues to follow a different course (epidemiology) in Nigeria and most of African nations.
“Other omicron progeny that was associated with increases in cases, admissions and deaths elsewhere did not cause the same in Nigeria as confirmed by our genomics surveillance.
“Our population is significantly protected from a combination of natural infection and vaccination,” he explained.
Adetifa said the COVID-19 Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) met on December 31, 2022, noting that going forward, they would continue to review the ongoing COVID-19 situation over the coming week.
“At the next review and if deemed necessary, a range of actions, not limited to enhanced surveillance of travellers at airports, may be implemented,” he said.
The NCDC boss said that the agency follows global COVID-19 epidemiology, including genomics data, as part of the ongoing pandemic response.
Adetifa said the NCDC COVID-19 EOC continues to function at level two alertness, including weekly risk assessments to inform the need for action.
“Our COVID-19 EOC is tracking COVID-19 trends in China, the US, UK, South Africa, India and other destinations with high volume traffic to and from Nigeria,” he said.
The NCDC boss said the COVID-19 resurgence in China was not surprising, given their recent transition from a zero COVID-19 strategy.
He said this was against the backdrop of a population that neither has high levels of natural immunity nor high levels of coverage with vaccines with the greatest impact against severe disease, hospitalisation, and death.
“Cases, admissions and deaths in England and the US have increased significantly.
Government agency data show 28.8 per cent, 36.3 per cent and 1.6 per cent increases in cases, admissions and deaths as of December 22, 2022, compared to the previous period.
“The Centre for Disease Control reports 57.0 per cent, 23.2 per cent and 66.0 per cent increases in cases, admissions and deaths as of Dec. 22, 2022, compared to November 20, 2022.